The Philadelphia Phillies released right fielder Nick Castellanos on Thursday. After much discussion all offseason about whether he'll return to the Phillies or not, Castellanos finally got his answer. A lot of work was done in the background to find a potential trade partner instead of outright releasing him and eating $20 million, but they were still unable to find a suitor. It wasn't like the Phillies didn't try, but Castellanos' behavior turned away at least one potential trade partner earlier this offseason.
According to the reporting of Dylan Svoboda of the New York Post, Jon Heyman reported that the New York Yankees were interested in trading for Castellanos (subscription required) earlier this offseason but back away after getting mixed reviews of the veteran.
“The team looked into trading for the Phillies slugger earlier this offseason, but backed off after receiving mixed reviews, according to The Post’s Jon Heyman,” per Svoboda.
While Castellanos scared the Yankees away from giving up an asset in a trade, the San Diego Padres are apparently willing to take the gamble on him on a league minimum salary. They signed him on Saturday morning.
Nick Castellanos' questionable behavior screwed the Phillies out of a trade partner
Heyman didn't clarify exactly what mixed reviews the Yankees heard, but Phillies fans can imagine what they might be after this week’s revelations. The Yankees were willing to take on Castellanos and at least some of his contract for 2026, but after possibly mulling over the right fielder's recent history, they opted to instead re-sign first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Castellanos was reportedly willing to play first base, but that didn't seem to help sway New York’s mind.
The Phillies had been trying for months to find someone to take him off their hands, but a deal never culminated, even with Philadelphia willing to eat a large portion of his salary.
Castellanos had a rough and complicated relationship with the Phillies and their coaching staff over the course of his four seasons. It came to a head on June 16 last year, when he was replaced defensively in right field in the eighth inning, leading to one of the biggest stories to come out of the 2025 season.
Castellanos became a distraction in the Phillies clubhouse, and a lot of the details surfaced following his release. Matt Gelb of The Athletic highlighted the fallout of Castellanos’ inability to be a true team player (subscription required).
“But Castellanos, many of his teammates argued, was not a team player,” Gelb reported. “This was an important distinction to make. His candor, appreciated by some because there was never any guessing about where Castellanos stood, was not for everyone.”
It's unclear how much the Yankees were actually invested in the idea of giving up prospects for Castellanos, who in 2025 posted a .694 OPS, 88 OPS+, and a -0.8 bWAR. All were career lows, and his defense became noticeably worse as well. The Yankees may have been looking for some outfield help, but the combination of questionable behavior in the clubhouse, a down year at the plate, and poor defensive metrics turned away any real possibility of that happening.
It's quite possible other MLB clubs at least showed interest in trading for Castellanos at some point during the offseason. They could have had interest, but it's also reasonable to believe that other potential trade partners could have felt the same way, thinking that Castellanos isn't a risk worth taking.